More of an extended EP than a full album, the new release from Osvaldo Supino remains a triumph from start to finish. It addresses the power of music, the darker side of fame & the encompassing compulsion of sex through riveting dance grooves, pulsating rhythms, sensuous melodies and of course Osvaldo's seductive vocal style. At times there is full on dance floor mania invading your speakers, others there is an aching tenderness that permeates every fragile note sung. It's a clever mix that ensures a deeper exploration of Osvaldo's sex-kitten party boy persona he's cultivated (to amazing success - see video for Mannequinz!) to date and provides a firm, artistic leap forward into new, more mature territory for the young chap. The title indicates that he's laying himself bare in more ways than one & despite it's brevity, it's an album of accessible themes that should provide many hit singles, dancefloor moments & an army of new fans. Here's what you get...
- Ma Radio ~ It all kicks off with a slamming dance track that sounds like Lady Gaga, Britney & Simon Curtis got together for an orgy & this was the musical progeny that flung like love batter from that sticky union. It's one of several collaborations with the insanely talented writing team of the Crush Boys & Charlie Mason & those fellas know how to write a song that will not so much seep into your brain, but smash it's way in there with instantaneous hooks & relentless, unforgiving beats. They always leave you a bit giddy & biting your lip to stop screaming your safe word of "YES PLEASE"! Here, the song has a down & dirty fuzzy beat that merges seamlessly with string-laced synth effects and a hypnotic hand clap rhythm, all acting as the perfect backdrop to Osvaldo's autotune vocals (that work incredibly well in the concept of the song). It's all designed to make you pull shapes on the nearest dancefloor & the rap elements are just bloody genius. But just as the song indicates, tunes on the radio can infuse you with heightened emotions & the chorus mirrors this with it's trance like hook. This had better be single number two or I will not be happy...
- I Have A Name ~ current single and sounds more evocative & gorgeous each time I hear it. Osvaldo shows a side to himself that is the yin to his outgoing, bubbly yang yet is no less musically adept because of it. Indeed, it only enhances the charm of young Osvaldo as your all round pop star package. Set to a sprightly instrumental that somehow recalls Madonna's Lucky Star while still managing to sound exquisitely relevant for today's pop market (and indeed, nothing wrong with honouring the way paved by pop legends), it gives glorious string-infused synths against a truly engaging sparkling, frothy beat. This careful placement of layered synths and beats gives the song not only a sumptuous feel but also ends those lyrics an air of gravitas. And let's talk about those lyrics - Charlie Mason, Daniel Volpe (who's very nearly a popstar in his own making and quite rightly so) and Thomas Lipp have done an outstanding job of building a song around the experiences of Osvaldo so that he can sing from the depths of his emotions. They detail the destructive nature of rumours, innuendos and half truths - and the devastating impact they can have on an individual on the receiving end, stripping away their identity, the essence of their being. Osvaldo clearly has a tremendous ability to tap into the core of these lyrics & as the chorus bursts into life, there is a real emphasis in his voice, a reclaiming of his identity. It's this combination of well thought out music, insightful lyrics and vocal ability that propel the tune from being very good to great. The middle 8 has a great, military drum beat that could well signify the repositioning of purpose in Osvaldo's life, his desire to reclaim who he really is - and it leads into a brilliant key change that I defy anyone to love. It's truly a lovely song positioned in a musical world of swirling rhythms and beats that prove to be both very alluring and extremely satisfying.
- Body Sin ~ the first song on the album not penned by The Crush Boys & Charlie Mason yet it fits perfectly alongside their work (and showcases that Osvaldo himself is capable of penning addictive pop smashes). Lyrically it feels like a natural sequel to album opener Ma Radio - that song invited you to let the music take control & run wild with your emotions. This picks up the tale at the club where the music is loud, so booming that it isn't just backdrop, it's your whole world. Scratch the surface however and the song takes on a deeper meaning of battling demons, temptations in a place where they are plentiful and prevalent. It's no surprise that the song has such a compulsive beat to it - each throbbing bass lures you deeper into it's clutches, each ooo from Osvaldo is like an orgasmic revelation of how addictive these temptations are. Then there are these intricately placed, glomwobble like effects coming out of the choruses into the verse that are like a devil's snare - binding you even tighter to the stimulating vibe that washes over you as Osvaldo delivers his flawless vocals.
- Pornographic ~ While there is a version on the album with Chris Crocker, I'm going out on a limb and saying I prefer a solo version of this song (so am sticking with the option on Exposed to listen to it *sans* Mr Crocker)... It's possibly the most sexual song on the album & very cleverly written. It details how attraction can easily become obsession, and for certain that obsession can't control what goes on in the person's head, can't control their intimate thoughts and fantasies. It taps into something that happens to us all - the thoughts & visions that swirl through our mind when we imagine ourselves with the object of our desires. It's a softer dance vibe that Ma Radio & Body Sin, yet no less vibrant or shimmering than those tracks. Indeed, the song needs to be a tad more ethereal and swirling to represent that almost dreamlike nature of those x-rated lyrical thoughts ("Can't imagine being me and feeling how I felt/waiting but impatiently to go below the belt") - it certainly had me loosening my tie and getting a bit hot under the collar. It's aural masturbation for the masses and I'm hooked...
- New York Girls ~ There's a lot to love within this song. It could be that it is a different direction to the rest of the songs on the album (showcasing the diversity of the writers and singer); it could be that it sounds like the perfect song to lip synch to your life to on RuPaul's Drag Race; it could be the clever use of "stan" in the lyrics as repetitive "stan-stan-stand out" (yet working as the colloquial expression for an ardent fan); it could be the recognition of how fabulous New York Girls are regardless of your sexuality; it could be that it feels very summer smash Euro-pop particularly with that alluring falsetto; or it could be that all of these unique elements mixed together actually work and make me want to hit repeat instantly. I'm gagging on the eleganza of it all :)
- Get Laid ~ another song that feels like the sequel to what has come before. This time it seems we've followed Osvaldo from his "Pornographic" thoughts to his attempt to have a wild night of debauchery with his paramour (even if it's just his paramour for right now). It's percolating, synth driven fusion of sounds makes it quite the bouncy instrumental, which serves the lyrics well (in that it makes them appear less intense, more emboldened seduction attempt). Once again, the power of music exhibits as giving Osvaldo the environment he needs to make these advances. His sexual itch needs to be satisfied and he's laying his cards on the table, begging to get his freaky on (wants to be careful, he'll end up in a gimp suit with a ball in his mouth if it all goes a bit wrong. Or right depending on your preferences :D) If Pornographic was aural masturbation, then this for sure is lyrical foreplay. Sticky fingers indeed...
- Goodbye ~ Goodbye finishes the album with an exquisite, delicate, fragile piano-vocal ballad that shines with an aching beauty from start to finish. The elegiac piano spins a mellifluous backdrop for Osvaldo to give his most emotive vocal to date. Underneath the partying, the lusty desires, beats a heart that can be broken like everyone elses - and he enunciates that with a haunting gravity on this track. Within pain comes an outpouring that, through music, can be stunning to exhibit. Just a devastating yet wonderful way to finish the set of songs...
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